The sustainable transition of short cycled shifting cultivation systems to land degradation neutrality: Opportunities and Challenges

1. International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development
Kathmandu, Nepal
Sustainable transition of short cycled shifting
cultivation systems to land degradation
neutrality: Opportunities and Challenges
Dhrupad Choudhury
Sustainable transition of shifting cultivation systems for land
degradation neutrality
UNCCD COP14,
New Delhi,
4th September, 2019

2. Basic principles
o Objectivity – An informed understanding, not a ‘for or against’ viewpoint
o An actionable approach that fosters and facilitates:
• Sustainable livelihood options
• Inclusive
• Equitable, options that are viable for all, irrespective of their socio-
economic status
• Ensure tenurial security, and
• Promote Land Degradagation Neutrality

3. Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN)
‘A state whereby the amount and quality of land resources, necessary to support
ecosystem functions and services and enhance food security, remains stable or
increases within specified temporal and spatial scales and ecosystems’
UNCCD Parties to the Convention

4. Shifting cultivation…
……..in its undistorted form, that is,
with long fallow cycles, confirmed to
Land Degradation Neutrality

6. The importance of regenerating fallow forests for shifting
cultivators..
• Fallows are essential to shifting
cultivation – without the
regenerating fallow forests,
productivity in shifting cultivation
cannot be assured.
• Fallow forests are the backbone of
shifting cultivation
• Shifting cultivators, therefore,
nurture the forests into their fallows
even during the cultivation phase

7. Fallow management by shifting cultivators……
Fallow management practices
during clearing, cultivation …..
• Tree species retained through
lopping, coppicing
• Trunks and root stocks retained,
regenerate subsequently
• Enriched fallows – tree species
introduced (utility and ecological
value species)

9. The common perception (and the common images) on
shifting cultivation....
The practice is
o‘primitive’
oeconomically unviable
ocauses deforestation
and environmental
destruction, global
warming
And hence, must be
replaced!

10. Not realizing (or deliberately overlooking) the fact
that……
…. regenerating fallows & the resultant secondary forests are integral to the practice (and to
livelihoods)…
…. shifting cultivation is a sequential agricultural and forest management practice, on the
same plot, but seperated in time…

11. Shifting cultivation landscapes: untapped opportunities for
climate change mitigation, land degradation neutrality…..
At the landscape level, shifting
cultivation results in a mosiac of
different aged, growing forests….
“LDN is a unique approach that
counterbalances the expected loss
of productive land with recovery of
degraded areas.”
….and so did shifting cultivation!

12. RateofProductivity/Growth
P:R > 1
(accumulation in
surplus of
maintenance)
P:R = 1
(maintenance
negates
accumulation)
P:R < 1
(maintenance
surpluses
accumulation)
Time
Growth /
Acceleration
Phase
Maturation /
Stagnation
Phase
Senescence /
Decline
Phase
Mitigation
opportunities from
shifting cultivation
Growth: Net C sinks
Senescence: Net C
sources

13. Alternative options promoted…
o Wet rice cultivation (to address
cereal security)
o Cash crop plantations (to
address cash generation)
- But failed to promote potentially
important crops or produces from
shifting cultivation
Till plantations mature and
become profitable, households
have no choice but to continue
with shifting cultivation

14. Replacement of fallows: Cash crops – arecanuts (tea,
rubber, cashew)

15. Replacement of fallow forests with
plantations….where are the forests?

16. Rapid erosion of soil fertility and water retention –
drastic reduction in productivity….food
insecurity….and,

17. Increasing land pressure (reduced fallow cycles) – increased
land degradation…

18. Promotion of Homegardens – reducing the
dependency on shifting cultivation
• Nutrition, with surplus,
added income
(1:40 returns; 3 months)
• Extended homegardens,
• Multitiered, incorporating
food and horticultural
crops (citrus, coffee, tea,
pineapple)

19. Complimented with animal husbandry……for nutrition
and income
• Integration with
animal husbandry
– poultry, piggery
• Income from
animal husbandry,
input sourcing for
homegardens
• And protein
sources (nutrition)

20. Home gardens….
• Nutritional security & Income
• Tenurial security
• Crop diversity
• Diverse landraces within crops

21. Shifting cultivation, agro-biodiversity, climate change
adaptation and global food & nutritional security….
• More diverse the crop ‘portfolios’, more
effective the risk management - less the need
for responses to shocks/ exposures
• High diversity increases resilience
• ‘Building blocks’ for tomorrow’s stress
tolerant seeds – critical in adaptation &
resilience building (& nutritional security)

22. Managing Change: Perspective Land Use Mapping
Garo Hills, India – safeguarding ecosystem services, tenure and
LDN
Managing land use change in shifting
cultivation areas
• Accommodating livelihood and
income needs
• Participatory resource management
at the landscape level
• Promoting community management
and conservation of land, water,
forests and ecosystem services
• Hence, among others, LDN

23. Managing Change in Shifting Cultivation: Participatory 3D
Landuse measurements, cadastral
mapping and
Negotiating tool, community
empowerment
“I have been with the Nokma for over 50
years…this is the first time my A’khing has
come alive in front
of my eyes…”
Gonath Sangma,
Nokma
Traditional custodian,
Sasatgre

24. Add value and promote niche products from shifting
cultivation
• High nutritional value: ‘health food’; crop
varieties adapted to microhabitat/ micro-
climate
• High value products from fallows
• Shifting cultivators – and many such upland
farmers – custodians of the rich agricultural &
other biological germplasm
• Acknowledge and recognise community
managed ‘Living Gene Banks’ or Agro-
biodiversity Landscapes

25. 2030 Agenda for SDGs and Managing Transformations in
Shifting Cultivation
SDG Relevant Target(s) Context
#1. Poverty 1.4 rights, access & control (land)
1.5 build resilience, reduce exposure
Transformations must strengthen, not dilute
#2. Hunger 2.1 end hunger, access to safe, nutritious and sufficient
food
2.2 malnutrition
2.3 productivity & income
2.4 sustainable & resilient production systems
2.5, 2.a genetic diversity, gene banks
Transformations must
• Safeguard crop & nutritional diversity
• Ensure seasonal availability
• Conservation agro-diversity
• Strengthen resilience
#6. Water & Sanitation 6.1 access to safe, affordable drinking water
6.4 water use efficiency
6.6 protect water related ecosystems
Transformations must safeguard ecosystem
services, especially hydrological services, not
deplete them
#13. Climate Change 13.1 strengthen resilience Safeguard diversity of crops, natural systems &
conservation of traditional NRM institutions
#15. Sustainable use of ecosystems 15.1 conservation, restoration
15.2 sustainable management (forests)
15.4 conservation of mtn ecosystems
15.5 reduce degradation
Transformations must guard against
deforestation, degradation through landuse
changes – safeguard ecosystem services

26. Map of Forests in Monsoon Asia in 2010
PALSAR data in 2010
50-m spatial resolution

27. THANK
YOU!